JP6745714B2 - Beer frothing device and frothing method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a beer frothing device and a frothing method for generating froth in beer poured into a glass or a jug.

The foam of beer poured using a beer server in a restaurant or the like is recognized as a good quality which is satisfactory to most drinkers. However, it is well known that such a beer server is not only burdensome in terms of equipment but also not easy in daily maintenance. Therefore, various means have been developed to make the quality of beer foam poured into a glass easier and better. For example, a device using ultrasonic waves as described in Patent Document 1 or a method of injecting carbon dioxide gas into beer in a glass from a small container is known.

JP-A-8-98675

By applying ultrasonic waves or injecting carbon dioxide gas into beer, fine fine bubbles are generated in comparison with bubbles normally generated by the impact when pouring by hand. However, it is also true that the froth produced is not as good as the froth of beer poured using a full-fledged beer server. Both of these two methods also have the drawback that it is difficult to control the amount of bubbles.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a simple beer frothing device and a frothing method for producing high-quality froth in beer poured into a glass.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a beer frothing device includes a frothing machine having a stirring unit that is driven to rotate, a table on which a glass is placed, an elevating device that supports the table so as to be vertically movable, and a frothing machine. And a control unit that controls the operation of the lifting device, and foam is generated in the beer in the glass placed on the table by the rotating stirring unit of the whisk.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a beer frothing device includes a frothing machine having a stirring unit that is rotationally driven, a table on which a glass is placed, a lifting device that supports the frothing machine so that it can be moved up and down, and a frothing device. And a control unit for controlling the operation of the machine and the lifting device, and foam is generated in the beer in the glass placed on the table by the rotating stirring unit of the whisk.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for producing foam in beer comprises the steps of preparing a whisk having a stirring section that is driven to rotate, pouring beer into a glass, and stirring the stirring section of the whisk. Generating at least a portion of the beer in a glass and then rotating to generate foam by a whisk, and removing the stirring portion from the glass.

According to the present invention, it is possible to generate fine bubbles having a uniform diameter in beer in a glass by a simple beer frothing device or beer frothing method using a whirling machine that is driven to rotate. The bubbles produced are not only finer than when using a full-fledged beer server used in restaurants and the like, but are also characterized by excellent uniformity in diameter. In addition, the generated foam is also characterized in that it is difficult to disappear.

It is a typical front view which shows the beer whiskers by 1st Embodiment with the beer with glass before stirring. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whipping apparatus by 1st Embodiment with the beer with glass initially frothed. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whipping apparatus by 1st Embodiment with the beer with glass which the last whipping was carried out. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whiskers by 1st Embodiment with the completed beer with glass. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whiskers by 1st Embodiment with the beer with glass before stirring. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whipping apparatus by 1st Embodiment with the beer with a frothed glass. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whipping apparatus by 1st Embodiment with the beer with glass which the whipping was completed. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whiskers by 1st Embodiment with the completed beer with glass. It is a schematic front view which shows the beer whiskers by 2nd Embodiment with the beer with glass before stirring. It is a typical front view which shows the beer frothing apparatus by 2nd Embodiment with the beer with glass initially frothed. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whipping device by 2nd Embodiment with the beer with the final frothed glass. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whipping apparatus by 2nd Embodiment with the completed beer with glass. It is a schematic front view which shows the beer whiskers by 2nd Embodiment with the beer with glass before stirring. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whipping apparatus by 2nd Embodiment with the beer with a frothed glass. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whipping apparatus by 2nd Embodiment with the beer with glass which the whipping was completed. It is a typical front view which shows the beer whipping apparatus by 2nd Embodiment with the completed beer with glass.

First, the beer frothing device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1A, this beer frothing device 10 fixes a frothing device 20, a lifting device 30, and the frothing device 20 above a glass 8 or a container such as a beer mug (hereinafter referred to as “glass”). It is provided with a U-shaped column 40, and a control unit and a power supply unit (not shown) arranged in the column 40. The whisk 20 has a main body case 21 that accommodates an electric motor, a shaft 22 that is connected to the electric motor, and a stirring portion 23 that is fixed to the tip of the shaft 22. The stirring unit 23 in the present embodiment is formed by molding a metal wire rod into a cylindrical coil shape, and molding the metal wire rod into an annular shape around the shaft 22.

The column 40 has a base portion 41 that fixes the lifting device 30, a vertical portion 42, and an arm 43 that supports the whisk 20. The shaft 22 of the whisk 20 extends substantially vertically downward, and the stirring portion 23 is The whisk 20 is supported so as to be located below. The lifting device 30 includes a table 32 on which the base plate 31 and the glass 8 are placed, a plurality of link members 34 constituting a pantograph-type lifting mechanism for lifting the table 32, a lifting electric motor 35, and a lifting electric motor 35. And a feed screw 33 that is driven to rotate. As will be described later in detail, the control unit is configured to operate the whisk 20 and the elevating device 30 by either the selectable first sequence or the second sequence.

Next, a first example in which the beer frothing device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention operates according to the first sequence will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1D.
First, before operating the beer frothing device 10, the operator pours the beer into the glass 8 to a first predetermined height B1. The first predetermined height B1 is, for example, the height of the glass 8 at the 7th minute in consideration of a space for bubbles generated later. Further, when pouring beer into the glass 8, it is preferable to pour the beer gently so as to suppress the generation of bubbles as much as possible, that is, to avoid impact. This is because, in this example, the foam is generated later by using the whisk, so it is not preferable to generate the foam by the impact when pouring by hand to lower the carbon dioxide gas volume in the beer. ..

Next, the operator places the glass 8 into which the beer is poured in a predetermined position in the center of the table 32 of the lifting device 30. At this time, the table 32 is at the lowest position, and the stirring unit 23 of the whisk 20 is located at the level L10 with respect to the table and above the outside of the glass 8 (FIG. 1A).

When the operator selects the first sequence and presses the start switch (not shown), the whisk 20 and the lifting device 30 start operating in accordance with the first sequence stored in the controller. First, the lowest table 32 rises so that the stirring unit 23 of the whisk 20 is located at the level L8 closer to the table 32 (FIG. 1B). The level L8 is a height such that the stirring unit 23 is located below the liquid level of beer but close to the liquid level, for example, in a relatively shallow region of 3/4 or more of the liquid level of beer in the glass 8. is there. When the stirring unit 23 is located at the level L8, the stirring unit 23 is rotationally driven for a short time, in the present embodiment, for 1 second. This rotation of the agitator 23 produces bubbles on the beer surface. In the present specification, the bubbles generated at this time are called initial bubbles.

In the present embodiment, in order to efficiently generate the initial bubbles, the stirring unit 23 was positioned and operated in a relatively shallow region of 3/4 or more of the beer liquid level height in the glass 8, but the initial bubbles were generated. An embodiment is also possible in which the agitator 23 is positioned and operated in a deeper area to produce On the contrary, an embodiment in which the stirring unit 23 is positioned and operated such that a part of the stirring unit 23 is exposed on the liquid surface is also possible.

When the generation of the initial bubbles is finished, the table 32 is slightly lowered so that the stirring unit 23 is located at the level L9. The level L9 is such that the stirring section 23 is located in the generated initial foam on the liquid surface of beer. Then, the whisk 20 stirs the generated initial bubbles at about 6000 rpm for 45 seconds to grow and expand the initial bubbles. The foam generated at this time is referred to as a final foam in this specification.

When the production of the final foam is finished, the table 32 is lowered to the lowest position, so that the stirring section 23 is located at the level L10 and the first sequence by the control section is finished. This provides a glass of beer with a desirable foam.

The bubbles generated in the above-described embodiment have the same fineness as compared with the case of using a full-scale beer server used in restaurants and the like, but the uniformity of diameter is improved. This feature was obtained by using a whisk to generate foam. Further, since the bubbles are generated according to the determined sequence, the variation in the amount of bubbles is small.

Furthermore, the bubbles generated in the above-mentioned embodiments are also characterized by being hard to disappear. As a result of the disappearance of bubbles, when the glass was viewed from above, the time when the liquid surface began to be seen was evaluated based on the criteria. In contrast to the observation, according to the above-mentioned example, it took 60 minutes or more before the liquid level in the glass became observable. The bubbles generated by the present embodiment have a property that the thin layer covering the liquid surface remains for a long time although the thickness thereof decreases with the passage of time. It will be clear that even such a thin layer is effective in preventing the oxidation of beer in the glass or the deterioration of the taste. Note that this feature is also obtained by generating bubbles using a whisk. More specifically, since the bubbles have a uniform diameter, the movement of gas between adjacent bubbles is reduced, and most of the gas contained in the bubbles generated by the agitator is not carbon dioxide gas, It is thought that this is due to the fact that it is air at atmospheric pressure.

Next, a second example in which the beer frothing device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention operates according to the second sequence will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2D.
First, before operating the beer frothing device 10, the operator injects a portion of the planned infusion of beer into the glass 8 to a second lower predetermined height B2. In the case of the present embodiment, the second predetermined height B2 is a predetermined condition of the whisk 20. In this embodiment, when beer is stirred at about 6000 rpm for 45 seconds, almost all of the beer becomes a liquid. The height is such that almost nothing remains. In this example, it is the height of the glass 8 at the first minute.

Next, the operator places the glass 8 into which the beer has been poured at a predetermined position in the center of the table 32 of the elevating device 30 of the beer frothing device 10 (FIG. 2A). At this time, the table 32 is at the lowest position, and the stirring unit 23 of the whisk 20 is located above the glass 8 at the level L10 with respect to the table 32.

When the operator selects the second sequence and presses the start switch, the whisk 20 and the lifting device 30 start operating in accordance with the second sequence stored in the controller. First, the table 32 is raised until the stirring section is located at the level L1 (FIG. 2B). The level L1 is such a height that the stirring portion 23 is below the liquid level of beer near the bottom surface of the glass 8. When the stirring unit 23 is positioned at the level L1, it is rotationally driven at about 6000 rpm for 45 seconds as described above. By this rotation of the stirring section 23, almost all of the liquid beer is foamed.

When the whisk 20 is stopped, the table 32 of the lifting device 30 is lowered to the lowest position, so that the stirring section 23 is positioned at the level L10 above the glass 8 and the second sequence by the control section is finished (FIG. 2C). .. Next, the operator pours the remaining beer into the glass 8 so as not to break the generated foam as much as possible to complete the glass-filled beer (FIG. 2D).

As a method of pouring beer that does not destroy the generated foam as much as possible, for example, the following two methods can be mentioned. The first method is to tilt the glass 8 and gently pour the beer so that the beer flows down along the inner wall of the glass 8. The second method is to prepare a thin tube (not shown) having a funnel on the proximal end side, insert the tube into the foam so that the tip of the tube is located below the bottom surface of the foam, and pass the beer through the tube. Is the method of injecting.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the amount of beer poured into the glass 8 was at the first minute of the glass 8, but the glass 8 was first added to the glass 8 in order to increase or decrease the amount of foam according to the taste of the drinker. The amount of beer poured may be increased or decreased. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, all of the small amount of beer that was first injected into the glass 8 was foamed, but not all of the injected beer was foamed, and there is also an example in which liquid remains. It is possible in the invention. It is achieved by increasing the initial beer dosing rate or reducing the stirring time.

The foam generated when the beer frothing device 10 operates according to the second sequence has a characteristic that the diameter is uniform and fine, and it is hard to disappear, as in the case where the beer frothing device 10 operates according to the second sequence.

Next, a beer frothing device 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The beer frothing device 110 according to the second embodiment is configured such that the glass 8 is immovable and the frothing machine 20 moves up and down. Therefore, the beer frothing device 110 according to the second embodiment includes, as shown in FIG. 3A, a frothing machine 20, a lifting device 130 for the frothing device 20, a column 140 that supports the lifting device 130, and a column. An immovable table 150 connected to 140, a control unit (not shown) disposed in the column 140, and a power supply unit are provided. The whisk 20 is the same as that in the first embodiment.

The elevating device 130 is an elevating motor 135 fixed to the top of the column 140, a pinion 131 fixed to the shaft of the elevating motor 135, and a rack 132 that meshes with the pinion 131, and is vertically movable by a bearing (not shown). And a connecting member 133 that connects the rack 132 and the whisk 20. The control unit is configured to operate the whisk 20 and the elevating device 130 according to either the third sequence or the fourth sequence that can be selected.

An example where the beer frothing device 110 according to the second embodiment of the present invention operates according to a third sequence is shown in FIGS. 3A-3D. In the third sequence, the operation direction of the elevating device 130 is simply reversed with respect to the operation direction of the elevating device 30 in the first sequence, and the positional relationship between the stirring section 23 and the table 150 in each stage is the same. (Levels L10, 8, 9) and the operating time of the stirring unit 23 are the same as those in the first sequence. As such, no further discussion of the third sequence herein will be necessary.

An example where the beer frothing device 110 according to the second embodiment of the invention operates according to a fourth sequence is shown in FIGS. 4A-4D. In the fourth sequence, the operation direction of the elevating device 130 is simply reversed with respect to the operation direction of the elevating device 30 in the second sequence, and the positional relationship between the stirring section 23 and the table 150 in each stage is the same. (Level L10, 1) and the operating time of the stirring unit 23 are the same as in the case of the second sequence. As such, no further discussion of the fourth sequence herein will be necessary.

The beer frothing device 10 according to the first embodiment generates the froth generated when the beer frothing device 110 according to the second embodiment operates in accordance with the third sequence or the fourth sequence. As in the case of operating according to the sequence, it is characterized by being uniform, fine and hard to disappear.

Other Embodiments An embodiment of the beer frothing device configured such that the operating time of the frothing machine 20 and/or the levels L1, 8, 9, 10 of the stirring section 23 can be set or adjusted by an operator is also the present invention. Is possible in.

First, a liquid level sensor is further provided to detect the first predetermined height B1 and the second predetermined height B2 of the beer poured into the glass 8, and depending on the detected liquid level, Embodiments of a beer frothing device configured to automatically adjust the levels L1, 8, 9, 10 of the agitator 23 are also possible in the present invention.

So far, the beer whiskers according to the first and second embodiments have been described, but in the present invention, a person uses only a handy type whisk, without using such a beer whisker, It is also possible to perform the same operation as the above-mentioned sequence on the beer in the glass 8. Further, it is possible to add the beer whiskers of the first and second embodiments to a beer server in a restaurant or the like and perform the same operation as the above-described sequence for beer in the glass 8. ..

Moreover, the present invention includes any method of producing foam in beer using a rotary driven whisk, and not just the equivalent of the sequences described above. For example, in the present invention, the growth and expansion of bubbles generated in a glass when a person pours beer by hand using a hand-held type whisk or a whisk provided in a beer whisk device. The method of making it included is also included.

8 glass 10 beer frothing device 20 frothing machine 23 stirring unit 30 lifting device 32 table 35 lifting electric motor 40 column

Claims (9)

A whisk having a stirring unit that is rotationally driven;
A table on which to place the glass,
An elevating device that supports the table so that it can be moved up and down,
A control unit for controlling the operation of the whisk and the lifting device,
A beer frothing device, wherein froth is generated in the beer in the glass placed on the table by the rotating stirring unit of the whisk. The beer frothing device according to claim 1, further comprising a column that fixes the frothing machine above the table. A beer server comprising the beer frothing device according to claim 1. A whisk having a stirring unit that is rotationally driven;
A table on which to place the glass,
An elevating device that supports the whisk so that it can be moved up and down,
A control unit for controlling the operation of the whisk and the lifting device,
A beer frothing device, wherein froth is generated in the beer in the glass placed on the table by the rotating stirring unit of the whisk. The beer frothing device according to claim 4, further comprising a column that supports the frothing device above and below the table so as to be vertically movable via the lifting device. A beer server comprising the beer frothing device according to claim 4. The control unit positions the stirring unit so that at least a part of the stirring unit of the whisk enters the beer in the glass by operating the lifting device, and then generates the initial foam. In order to rotate the stirring unit for a first predetermined time, and then activate the elevating device to position the stirring unit in the initial foam generated on the liquid surface of beer, The stirring unit is rotated by rotating the stirring unit for a second predetermined time longer than the first predetermined time to generate the final foam, and then operating the elevating device to move the stirring unit to the glass. The beer frothing device according to claim 1 or 4, which is configured to be positioned above the outside of the beer. The control unit positions the stirring unit of the whisk in the beer in a glass in which a predetermined amount of beer has been poured by operating the lifting device, and then the stirring unit. The beer frothing device according to claim 1 or 4, which is configured to position the stirring section above the outside of the glass by rotating the for a third predetermined time and then operating the elevating device. A beer server comprising the beer frothing device according to claim 7.

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